Private sector employment grew at a 3.1 percent rate and education and healthcare employment grew at an annualized rate of 5.9 percent.

Also, 60 percent of the 82 firms surveyed by the Quarterly Business Report experienced improved business activity during the past three months.

Central Minnesota's definitive, survey-based analysis of economic activity is published by Times Media, Greater St. Cloud Development Corp., the SCSU Center for Economic Education, the SCSU Department of Economics and the SCSU School of Public Affairs.